Trance2MoveU

Hi Antic! Thanks for the reply. You threw a lot at me so let me see if I can explain myself. Obviously everyone is entitled to your opinion. Nobody's opinion should be dismissed or weighted greater than the next guy's. You didn't like it. That's cool I have zero problem with that. Know what I don't like? Milk. 2nd, my goal is to educate or entertain. Some people like reading a wall of text that is dry and boring. But a lot of people don't. That's why I try to be humorous and funny (sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't). 3rd, I write how the music makes me feel. I apologize for not being a goa authority, but I'm just some guy with free time and a heavy dose of insomnia that loves this music. So I write reviews. My description of the melodies in track three is how it sounded to me all of them coming together in a tight bundle. By criticizing my review (which is fine) and telling me in a condescending tone that my opinion is wrong aren't you acting like a goa nazi? 4th, my comment wasn't directed at you. At nobody really. It goes to the collective that seem to take pleasure lately in blasting and being overly analytical about goa trance music produced today. But again you opinion is just as valid as the next guy's. I choose to take a different tack. It's music. It's not austerity measures for the Greek people. It's supposed to make you smile and conjure emotions and oh yeah...make you want to dance. It does that for me, but apparently not for you. And that is fine. 5th, I hope I'm explaining myself better, I'm not trying to attack you. Like I said, I'm just enjoying the music and writing how it made me feel. It ain't E-Mantra or Artifact303 or Portamento and I said so. But for me any time I hear the goa melodies come in I'm hooked. I'm easy to please. What can I tell you I have two kids and if they don't throw anything in the toilet I'm happy. Lastly I know I should sleep with my wife, but she came to bed and said she couldn't sleep, so I put on HGTV (her favorite channel) and guess what? She fell asleep. But now I'm wide awake so I figured I would comment on Innerspace. Keep those comments coming! Mdk

Artist: InnerSpace Title: InnerSpace Label: Suntrip Records Date: September, 2012 1. Mental Stream 2. Rising 3. DeepFlight 4. The Ground 5. Below 6. Surface 7.InnerSpace 8. Lost City I got a package in the mail and it said Par Avion on it! Yep, either my wife's custom bras have arrived (MMmmmm....boobies) or Mars has sent some aural candy my way. 2012 has been a good year for goa trance and the fine gentlemen at Suntrip aim to keep it that way. Having already released thick slices of melodic awesomeness with the compilation Shaltu and Crossing Mind's Inner Shift, they hit you this time with a limited edition release by InnerSpace. His self-titled track on Shaltu was a beast, but who is this guy? It's Jörg Schemczyk from Cologne and this is his debut album. The cover art is quite nice and was done by Mars and himself, so right off the bat the guy seems pretty talented. There is a water theme here with a quote from Sir Richard Branson on the inlay: "There were more people on the moon, as in the infinite depths of the sea." That sounds just like what some unmarried pompous douche that is drowning in hot double D tail would say. I hate you so much Richard Branson. So I'm reading the opinions of what the masses (or the limited masses that give a sh*t to post here) and see that the natives are restless. The opinions of this seem to be quite varied. But before I sharpen the already razor sharp wit, let's take a listen and break it down for you. I mean, the wife's asleep it ain't like I'm gettin' any tonight anyway. Alright. 5 times in a row. That's right you bastards, no sleep tonight. I go the extra mile for my craft. Mental Stream- "Your mind...to my mind. Your thoughts...to my thoughts." Layers of melodies, a nice break beat, non-cheesy sample....where's the f*cking problem? The twirl ratio is strong here as the final bit pulls it all together. You know what? If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it's a duck. A goa duck. Liked it. Rising- The slight percussive hit here makes the beginning of the track for me. Simple yet effective. Juicy leads dance like water bubbles on a hot stove and they've got company. The break was good and then he launches right back into the same sequence. Ok, a bit samey, but be patient he changes things up for you. Because you need this. Need it. Deepflight- Ok fasten the seat belts, this is a long one. But man is it worth it. Twisting leads gather like fiber optic cable on a superhighway. He incorporates a breakbeat in this one as well and it's just an evolving track that takes you along for the ride. Seriously, you can't dance to this? Bullsh*t. The Ground- "Seven Years in Deep Space." This one packs some serious punch with lush effects and serious layers. You know how some tracks twist and turn and hit you from all sides? This isn't that one. Nope, this one pries your jaws open and stuffs itself down your throat. "Tastes like a middle class tax cut bitches! Don't sleep on Barry-O!" Below- This one starts out slower, but it eventually rises to a mid-tempo MFG style shuffle. Leads peek in from all sides and it's a groover. Surface- If there was one track that I liked the least it would be this one. The first 3 and a half minutes bored the crap outta me, but he makes up for it if you're a little patient. Here is where I can see the validity of some of the complaints about sticking with one melody for too long. That said, it eventually becomes pretty powerful and regroups during the break. He's telling a long story when I was in the mood for...oh I dunno...a letter from Penthouse forum? Innerspace- "What secrets do you have?" This is the track from Shaltu that is just a brain shredder. F*cking fantastic. Lost City- "At the foot of the continental shelf lies the stillest and flattest place on Earth." Ethereal and very viscous it has all the makings of an eerie...ummm, lost city I guess? It's mid-tempo and for my money (I have no money) the most atmospheric track on the album. Bass sweeps growl, 303's snap, and I guess it's his version of a downtempo closer. Loved it. I suppose you can make the argument that some of the tracks went on a little too long without enough variation. It's not as deep as Crossing Mind or E-Mantra. But let's not forget that this is dance music and that sequences are repeated all the time. But if the sequences are really f*cking cool, then yeah, hit me baby one more time. Sometimes I think people complain just to complain. It doesn't sound old school enough. It's not dark enough. There's too much urine in my coffee. What you've got here is another old-school sounding album that is heavy on melody and involuntary body movement. It's like there is a segment of the population that is like...like... Yeah! Goa nazis! It's the music that's important. Please understand that taste is subjective and mine is just one opinion. Wanna hear more negative reviews? Give me some music that I don't like. This isn't bad at all. Does it make you want to dance? Does it make you feel good? Do you get a smile when you hear it? I do, and if you like melodic goa trance then I think you will also. Now if you'll f*cking excuse me, I just put one of my kids in the dryer and I don't think I put him on the gentle cycle. Where the f*ck are my pants? Hey, who are you? You're not my kid... Get it at Suntrip! Mdk

I like this idea, but let's say it takes off. When you have 15 pages of short blurbs like this how are you going to find it? Do I have to go thru the entire thread each time? I'm not mad, these reviews are a lot of work. But I do enjoy doing them at the moment. I don't think Dolomot is taking a shot at me. Are you? He's right, unless everyone jumps on board and starts doing reviews (hasn't worked yet) lots of good stuff is going to get missed. Mdk

This is a good topic. I think the most important thing is to educate and entertain when it comes to a review. If I really like an album the more in depth I will go. Now that takes time and with all the releases out there, there is no way to get to everything. So I'm in favor of shorter reviews especially if it means more releases are covered. Remember good things come in small packages. That leads to more debate and more participation and then this place can be the hub of psytrance information it should be. I will say this. If I get an album that I think will be good and it turns out not to be...I'm licking my chops a bit. That's when the funny comes out to play. Mdk

As the gigantic project to thin out my music collection continues, I come across this. I have zero experience with Adrenalin Drum so I went into this with a wide open mind because the reviews were all over the place. I see that Mr. California Sunshine is one of the minds behind the project. Oh boy. I think it's important to take the date when this was made into context. The early part of the millennium was a dark time with an almost absence of melody and track evolution. In 2002 we were still a few years away from seeing the resurgence. So based on that and the technology for music production at the time, I guess you could say this doesn't hold up well. Is the fault of the artist or the time period? You can make an argument for both, but let's be honest. When was the last time you heard a Har-El track that floored you? 131 Lords is a rumbling mess of minimal and darkpsy and felt like someone was banging my head against a wall for almost 8 minutes. It got better with the eerie Electric Desert as a skittering lead cut across the sky like a hot knife through butter and there was even some goa sharpness in Tears of Knowledge. However you could really tell how sparse the tracks sounded compared to a lot of the music of today. Many of them were downright boring and wait for it...minimal. Wizzdrum was slightly moving, but a couple of ok tracks does not a good album make. I would say that this engine could use an overhaul. So if I could, I would swat Michael J Fox's Parkinson's medication out of his hand and while he was distracted jump into the DeLorean and go back to 2002. When I found Har-El I would tell him I'm from the future and plead with him not to do this. It won't hold up. But then he would start crying and I would feel bad. So I would tell him to bet everything he had on the Giants in last years Superbowl. See. First I'm sour. Then I'm sweet. "I f*cked you up Har-El. F*cked you up." Mdk

2004. Gmail is introduced to the public. Photos of prisoners in Abu Ghraib being abused and sexually humiliated are released by media 9.3 magnitude earthquake creates a tsunami causing devastation in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and many other areas around the rim of the Indian Ocean, killing 230,000 people. But the biggest story of course is we as a people...finally got to see Janet Jackson's boob. Wardrobe malfunction And it...it was kinda disappointing. But while most of those stories will stick out in 2004, I will always remember this album. It was one of the first I can remember buying when my interest in psytrance was just beginning. Swiss duo Philip Guillaume & Andreas Märki released their debut as Blue Vortex (and later changed their name to Rumble Pack due to label issues) and it was very impressive. Full-on? Surely, but there is a delicacy and intelligence behind it. Progressive at times before progressive was the lush melodic tapestry that it is today. There are also some slight goa touches, but only they know if that was intentional. I find it trancey without coming to that ultimately cheesy conclusion. What stands out to me is the layers and merging of one lead into another. Sometimes I feel there are stretches that go on a little long with not a lot happening, but let's not forget that the genre was recently escaping the total darkness of minimal. So any melodies that we were lucky enough to come across at least by me were greeted very warmly. It's hard to believe that 2004 was almost 9 years ago and that my life is traveling at ludicrous speed. Most people have certain albums that mark important moments in their life and you wouldn't think of getting rid of them. Because I missed out on the wondrous goa age, this album showed me that electronic music could be more than just euphoric climaxes, piano riffs, and wave your hands in the air like you just don't care. So I think this still holds up as some quality work. Solid effort. Mdk

Artist: Brain Damage Title: Waiting For My Angel Label: Utopia Records Date: September, 2007 1. Undertone 2. Waiting for my angel 3. Time energy 4. Transform me 5. Example of the 90' (Album Edition) 6. Beat Box (With Spade) 7. Calculator 8. Dialogue with god 9. Voice "Tonight I will speak directly to these people and make the situation perfectly clear." I'm on the fence with this one. This is Vikenty Shagal and he seems to have found that happy medium in between generic paint by numbers full-on and something more descriptive. Utopia Records (like Spun Records) hasn't been shy about piling on when it comes to full-on. Perplex, Audiotec, Ananda Shake, Phanatic...it's enough to make you wanna toss your cookies. First and foremost, this is full-on. No need to tap dance around it. However it's not totally mindless. There are a few things I like. One, his sound choice was nice in the sense that it wasn't the same crap you hear over and over again. Two, he seemed competent at filling out his tracks with some good work in the breaks. Even the track with Audiotec didn't make me run for the toilet like I just came out of Arby's. That said, it doesn't approach the complexity that is Digicult or Mr. Peculiar or U-Recken. There were some tracks that will make you question what the f*ck you're doing listening to this, but I think we can agree that we have all heard worse. If I had to put a number on it, 3/5. Now is that a reason to keep it? Beatspace Psyshop Saiko Sounds Mdk

Artist: Bushman Title: Unhuman Label: Spun Records Date: September, 2007 1. Mickey Finn 2. Psychonaut 3. Little Snitch 4. Rhythmic Device 5. Unhuman 6. Waking Life (rmx) 7. Culture Shock 8. Proton Accelerator 9. Flatliner There was a period of time when psytrance was completely overrun by full-on and it seemed everyone was just spinning their wheels making the same music. No label was more enabling than Spun Records who seemed to churn out identical releases faster than a 10 year old making an iPod at Foxcon. Tavis Bushman (or Buschmann if you're feeling a little sieg heily) is just a cog in that full-on wheel that threatened to crush the life out of you. He's from Ibiza and I felt you could feel some of that vibe in his music. It's not bad, but it sounds like all the rest of the full-on you have ever heard. Granted the sound is crisp and superb, but If I may quote the always accurate promo text: "The first album named Unhuman, is an unstoppable beast that stays true to Psychedelic Trance like very few others." I cannot rest my case because this wouldn't even be brought to trial. In the Olympics for the 100 yard dash something like 8 people run. If Usain Bolt wins, 7 others also ran. This is the white guy from Spain who is just there for the Olympic after party. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

I remember when I was first discovering goa trance. It was such an exciting time because it seemed that every release I found was better than the next. There was something magical and mystical in the music and the hunt was almost as exhilarating as the release. But I'm older now. Wiser. Wrinklier. I have plenty of CDs and tons of music on an external drive. If the zombie apocalypse happened tomorrow I would be too bogged down to flee. I need to streamline. Some of it has to go. Brainman? I know it's you because you put your name on the cover 4 times. This is Heinz Valetitsch and unfortunately sir, your album has to go. Why you ask? Well to put it simply your music is rather boring. Normally I would say any goa trance is a good thing. But you know why cars have steering wheels? So they can turn. This is straight ahead all the way, without power or layers of detail. I know. I know. It was made 17 years ago. The technology wasn't there. Somehow plenty of others managed to make a classic. A previous reviewer hit the nail on the head when he said once you listen to the first minute, you can move on to the next track. Some have said the samples are cheesy and while that may be true, they appeal to me in a rather retro way. Nothing personal. Not everyone can make a classic that can stand the test of time. So if the zombies do come tomorrow, good luck to you and yours. Mdk

Thanks a bunch! It helps knowing the blurbs I put down here can make people laugh and be entertaining. I thought I had reviewed this already, but since I hadn't... me...throwing a couple of pennies. Mdk

Artist: Barak Title: Twilight Cave Label: Hadra Records Date: January, 2008 1. Morning breeze on a party face 2. The Formula 3. Mar De Nubes 4. Human Response (Barak rmx) - Barak feat. Sharigrama 5. Twilight Cave 6. The desert moon mistery 7. Castle Freak 8. One way out 9. Sea Side Caribean Moonshine No f*cking way. I refuse to believe that the current president would be mired in run of the mill boring ass full-on. Because that's what this is. This is Fernando Diaz Gallardo from Mexico with his debut and man is it craptastic. Unimaginative and devoid of depth, he unfortunately has a track on here titled The Formula. C'mon man, too easy. That's begging for ridicule. I think full-on as a genre would listen to this and say, "Really?" John Belushi, what do you think? That's your answer to everything. Chick from Mean Girls with a nice set of cans and no criminal record, how bout you? Now, now, I'm sure not all Mexican Djs are terrible. Actually, I cannot confirm that. If we actually still had dictionaries this would be the definition of by the numbers full-on. I tried to find some parts of the tracks that were at least palpable and was wholly unsuccessful. If I'm being honest I did find The Desert Moon Mistery pretty groovy. But that's like giving the crew of the Titanic a garbage bag to block the whole. Still going down. There was a time when this could've been cutting edge. But that was a decade ago. The fact that this was made in 2008 is even more depressing. Psyshop Beatspace Saiko Sounds Mdk

I don't feel this one needs an in depth review. At this point it would just seem like piling on. Let's just see where it ranks on the James Franco/Seth Rogen hilarity scale. Yep. It's off the chart. Although it almost doesn't seem fair to decry an album that is almost 6 years old. Then again, if I can save just one soul from this full-on sh*tstorm, it's worth it. Right? Mdk

Artist: Alpha Circuit Title: Module-Z Label: Alpha Productions Date: November, 2006 1. Syntetich Morph 2. End of the beginning 3. Histericial Added 4. Lunar Circle 5. Generation 6. Module Z 7. Stratostar 8. Mysterious Fiend 9. Hypersonic Yep, that's me missing the boat on this one. As I'm attempting to free up space on the external drives, I am in the process of going through music that I know longer listen to. So I come across this and wonder why it flew under my radar. Oh, I know, it sounds like sh*t. But I'm getting ahead of myself. This is Luca Galli from Italy who apparently began his career in the early 90's with Etnica only to leave that group to follow his own pursuits. Holy sh*t that chick just blasted a dook in the hot tub! Ok, so I'm sure Luca didn't have it that bad. Poor chick...just think of the nicknames. She should just move. To another country. Still, leaving Etnica before they blew up would be like telling a bunch of mop headed Englishmen that the Beatles is a stupid name and you're gonna give this disco thing a try. So he leaves Etnica in the early 90's for whatever reason and releases his debut. In 2006. Here is what part of the Psyshop promo says: All tracks are released following the partiture and notation made with a keybord, are different works to montage sourcing the sample or loop to be not constructed. What the f*ck does that mean? Besides misspelling keyboard whoever wrote this just pissed all over English grammar. I'm guessing it was written way back when and he decided to cobble together what he could and put out an album. And it isn't bad. Some of the tracks like Stratostar, Generation, and Histerical Added have impressive melodies that seem to float across the clouds like a bubble that won't break. Very old-school. At other times it sounds quite minimal and raw, and even with that one can draw parallels with the Etnica style. There are portions where the track rolls along quite innocuously and then BAM! You have a searing and very moving melody. So on the surface of things I'm thinking this is quite the gem. But the problem is it sounds like sh*t. I'm not one to complain about mastering, but I know when something ain't right in sound town. Maybe the source was poor or degraded and just didn't transition well. I don't know. But it's unlistenable at high volume. Just breaks up. This would be a project for DAT Records, they seem to be good at rescuing old stuff and giving it a fresh shine. So while some of the tracks are very impressive, the quality of the audio is poor, and I can't recommend this. Especially not the almost 14 bucks Psyshop wants for it. Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Agneton Title: Wizards From The Future Label: Sita Records Date: May, 2012 1. Silver Shadow Lifeforms Chapter 2 2. Back To Hyperion 3. Zap Kannon 4. Wizards from the future 5. Mega Magnet Style 6. In the heart of a dying star 7. Gigantoraptor Resurrection 8. Master of the universe - AGNETON FEAT. JAVI 9. Reach out live forever "I occasionally think how quickly our differences would vanish worldwide if we were facing an alien threat from outside this world." Really? You really think that? Have you seen congress lately? Old f*ckers can't agree on a cup of coffee. Writing a review isn't an exact science. If it were, the boob enlargement software would've already been downloaded to my droid and I'd be wearing a bra on my head like the gentlemen above. You've come a long way Iron Man. A long way. Sometimes I can pen one after just one listen. But the vast majority require multiple days or weeks and a seemingly endless amount of listens. Point is I have come up with ideas for reviews in all sorts of places and times. On the crapper, at 4 in the morning, while I'm grocery shopping. Hell once, I came up with a great idea while doin' the nasty, but I figured I better get back to the task at hand. I've been writing this one for about a month. Which means I keep listening to it over and over again. Normally I'd buy a plane ticket to Belgium and punch Elias in the face (worked with Rihanna), but he's friends with Boris (Goalien) and he scares me. Thing is when I was playing this each time it never got old. There were always new layers to immerse myself in. Elias Gits is arguably the king of mixing Nitzhonot and goa trance turning what was a cheesy art form and making a Reese's Cup. You got your nitzho in my goa...and I like it. Horizon in Your Head came out 4 years ago and if you liked that one then you are going to love this. Silver Shadow Lifeforms Chapter II- "The evidence seems to be overwhelming to me. That we've had an intimate inter relationship with them for several thousand years." A remix to Silver Shadow Lifeforms from Horizon in Your Head? I'm in. Always felt that the original while good was lacking in a bottom end. Seems that issue was addressed as well as an overall thickening of the track with more layers. The main lead also felt more lush and full with some more aggressive tendencies. Kinda like juggling with a power saw. The nitzho kick is ever present and you will be hearing quite a bit of it on this journey. Back To Hyperion- Now that he's eased you into his vision, make sure your seat belts are fastened because he just accelerated to incredible speed. How fast? Faster than you can say child protective services. The melodies come fast and furious with blinding speed, but he doesn't forget the little touches that make goa tracks so organic. Outer space effects, machine gun kicks, and even a little break beat. Guy is such a giver. And not a crumb of cheese to be found. Zap Kannon- "That's the best you can do? No new style?" Why fix what isn't broken. If you're waiting for dude to take his foot off the accelerator it ain't gonna happen. Blistering pace with more space effects and spiritual melodies. This one is a face melter. "Breaking news! The government has found a new way to eliminate the deficit by taxing masturbation." Wizards From The Future- "I don't make the rules...I just live by them." Doof Doof Doof Doof Doof Doof Doof Doof d-d-d- doof! First rule of nitzhogoa, you don't talk about nitzhogoa. 2nd rule...you better have that kick with you. If you forgot however, no worries Elias has plenty to spare. He changes tempo with storming leads that are quite frenetic. The growl at the end with the 303 is a twirler's paradise. Mega-Magnet Style- "A long time ago...in a galaxy far far away." This is nitzhogoa on steroids. Indy 500 fast melodies and samples from numerous different sci-fi movies? Yes please. You can tell he's having a good time with this and he's getting all crazy with the layering. In the Heart of a Dying Star- "Some people lose their faith because heaven shows them too little. How many people lose their faith because heaven shows them too much." "Do you know how you got that dent, in your top lip? Way back, before you were born, I told you a secret, then I put my finger there and I said "Shhhhh!" Can I get a hell yeah for a Prophecy movie sample? Layers of the goodness cascade down and it seems as if it is never ending. You get these short breaks with clever percussive sounds and then it's right back into the fray. Awe. Some. Gigantoraptor Resurrection- "I'm so f*cking scared!" There are a sh*tload of effects to go along with the rampaging melodies. You have entered a cheese free zone with delicious shimmery synths. This one leans more towards the goa side at times but still maintains the nitzho flair. You'll hear what I mean when the slight buildup staggers up the staircase. Master of the Universe- "By the power of Grayskull!" I have never seen more homoerotic imagery and pedophilia than in that cartoon. Have to say my parents were asleep at the wheel for this one. F*cking show was a NAMBLA wet dream. Javi (Jonas Slosse) lends a hand and if you don't know who that is you should check out The Aural Exciter. Good stuff. Now is this their take on the classic UX track? Damn you Elias for making me do homework. I was kicked out of school for a reason you know. I don't know if it is, but is sure does sound old school. It's an absolute scorcher with power lead beatdowns and a tension filled break. The melodies seem to scream at the top of their lungs and it is unrelenting. Reach Out Live Forever- "I posess a stellar converter...the most powerful weapon in the universe." Well I have a butter knife and I am about to get medeival on this bagel. Elias tells you that your liberal nancypants go feel yourself downtempo track isn't needed here. Kinda. It starts out fast with spacey pads and a cat quick bass line. Melodies tumble from the sky in a frenzy and just when you think it's balls to the wall the break comes. And what a break it is as effects soar across space and colorful nebulas of melody drift by. It ain't long before he whips you around with some real hyper-speed stuff to close it out. I didn't have to go through this track by track to review it, but I'm here to educate and entertain. Taken at face value evry track has super speed melodies, outer space effects, and well placed samples. His style is to give you some (like a 2nd date) and then give you a break. But the break is a set up for a change in melody. It clings to a heavy science fiction vibe the whole way through. He truly is the master of nitzhogoa. I enjoyed the crap out of it and hey if you want to shoot an autographed copy my way I won't be mad at ya. So if you like your Nitzhogoa sans cheese (and I know you do) then this is for you. For those that are not into the genre with both feet, it can get a little samey as it's full throttle all they way. Might be too much for you to handle. Not me though. I eagerly await his third album. Psyshop Beatspace Saiko Sounds Mdk

Artist: Spectra Title: Beyond Belief Label: Oxygen Records Date: December, 2005 1. Intro 2. Audio 59 3. Into the monkey planet 4. Set the drive 5. Headshot 6. Ganzales 7. One self (feat.Zero Sequence) 8. Discoshit 9. Beyond Belief I see Death Posture gave this the once over already. Truth be told, I molded some of my technique from him. Well, minus all the f words and gifs. That's all me. This project is another one from the one and done cupboard. The Portuguese Oliveira brothers dropped their debut which is...you guessed it. More full-on. But it's Portuguese full-on. High energy, layered acidic stuff. Think of it as full-on that has been working out. After the somewhat noisy intro you get right into the meat of things. Screaming leads, sticky acid and a fast pace. Into the Monkey Planet is one of my favorites as it undergoes numerous shifts in direction as it bubbles its way through futuristic breaks. Set the Drive wasn't terrible, but it lacked the energy of the last track. Basically it resembled almost every mediocre full-on track you have ever heard. Headshot is a bruising progressive style composition with a sensitive side as well. But you know at almost 10 minutes you've got plenty of time to turn it around. On the surface Ganzales seemed like a generic full-on track, but like DP said it had some bite to it. Discoshit didn't have any disco, but I did listen to it while I took the Browns to the Super Bowl. No snare buildups, no stops and starts that you can almost set your watch to, and no f*cking autotune. This is about as close to win as you can get for full-on isn't it? Unless you're U-Recken, Mr. Peculiar, or Digicult, full on tracks shouldn't approach 10 minutes. Still, this was an example of some pretty good full-on without the fluffy annoying stuff that genre is known for. At this rate, I'll never get anything off my hard drive. "Pleiadians? What the f*ck is that sh*t? Oh, that's gone." Psyshop Beatspace Saiko Sounds Mdk

Artist: Spectral Skunk Title: Bounced Story Label: Shiva Space Technology Date: June, 2006 1. Kalimist 2. Bounced Story 3. Nine Dimension 4. Beyond 5. Freaks 6. Doors of Perception 7. Logarithmic Reveal 8. Conciousness 9. Diffuse "You know I just woke from a dream and you wouldn't like this type of dream, more like I walked into an alternate universe." Yep an alternate universe where I have all the f*cking free time in the world and decide to review albums from a half a decade ago. Forget the fact that I have a pile of recent music to get to that has grown so tall it threatens to crush me. Meh, what are ya gonna do? This is Beto Pampoch from Brazil who had his grand opening and grand closing in the same album. Shame too, because this thing isn't so bad. Yes it is full on, but it leans to the darker side of the cotton candy infested sh*t bricks that are churned out today. No build ups, not stopping and starting every 5 seconds. It's characterized by deep and rumbly basses and being undeniably moody,soaked with high tech and futuristic atmosphere. It can get samey at times, but he is quite competent at pulling you in with the breaks. To that effect, he also drops a dubby tune smack dab in the middle of things to break it up. The sound is very good and if there was a gripe that I had is that maybe the tracks went on a little long. That's like a death knell for full on. You don't need 5 minutes for a story that can be told in 2. Nonetheless, it comes out swinging and becomes another older album that I enjoyed revisiting. Favorites? While none of the tracks were close to being standouts, it was a consistent effort. Bounced Story was especially digital and sinister and Freaks was a fairly good robotic rumbler. Doors of Perception though long was tasty indeed with the wrap around bass and contrasting higher tones. Psyshop Beatspace Mdk

Artist: Sound Field Title: Audio Surfin Label: Oxygen Records Date: February, 2007 1. Psychedelic Revival 2. Technological Terror 3. Midi Tales 4. Return to the Field 5. CrossBreed 6. Dub Vibration 7. Funk Science (Southern Mix) 8. Second Step Above The Sun 9. Lifted Higher Because millions of people didn't ask for it here is my take on more music that is 5-6 years old. This is musical duo Andrey Yakovlev & Liron Atia with their debut back in 2007. Might have to add these guys to the one and done pile because I think their debut was also their finale. Which is a shame because this is quite an underrated gem. When you listen to older music its quality can be determined by how well it holds up. Does it sound like something today's producers (those with talent) would create? Yep. This is a chunky (been using that word a lot lately) heavily cyber influenced beast that with it's pumping beats and psychedelic sounds falls into the psy-gressive realm. Like the Matrix it's dark and futuristic in a way that is super appealing. They didn't forget the melancholy melodies and also brought a heavy back end to keep you moving. I'm not sure if Oxygen Records is still around, but the style of trance makes me think of Blue Hour Sounds. Where a label like Iono will soak you in layers of dreamy melodies, this is more focused on the rhythm section to entrance you and then hit you with the melodies. Crystal clear production will have you feeling every note and that can make all the difference. The blow the doors down with the opener Psychedlic Revival and their use of the 303 on Return to the Field is mesmerizing as it just continued to build. Flexing genre muscles they drop in a dubby downtempo track in the middle of things that evolves into a mid tempo awakening. Not my favorite though. Funk Science was pretty and was like painting with water colors, but had me thinking that it was made by a different project. How did this bit of happiness find its way in here? That said it was still satisfying to be sure. If you prefer the darker sound of the first half of the album well... Second Step gets all housey and loungey with melodies that you can view from the troposphere. The percussion and bass combo is quite inventive and makes me smile, but the almost 10 minute length made me frown. So this album is a tale of two halves. Darker and pumping in the beginning separated by the dub track and then easing right into a floaty white linen melody party where nobody gets hurt. You know, I'm in the process of clearing out the hard drive of music I haven't listened to in forever, but I keep coming across quality work like this that makes it difficult to delete. That's a good problem to have me thinks. Psyshop Beatspace Saikosounds *holy crap, just $7.95?* Mdk

Artist: Human Element Title: Subsequent Connection EP Label: Plusquam Records Date: June, 2012 1. Subsequent Connection 2. Subsequent Connection (Atmos Remix) This is Martin Knecht (half of Earsugar) with a short 2 track EP. Actually it's one track and then the same track remixed by the Sultan of Sweden, The Prince of Progressive, the...it, it's Atmos. Awww Yeah! That soft pillowy kick is so f*cking inviting as incidentals bounce around the tympanic membrane. Smooth, gliding action and subtle chopped synths bathe the listener in the warm glow of a party getting started. Did a bunch a drag queens escape from prison? So then the Atmos remix comes and hey I got nothing against his music, but the purpose of a remix is to make the track sound...I dunno, different? I liked the track, but I just f*cking heard it! It's like Groundhog Day and I just wanted to punch your software. So it doesn't matter which track you choose to download, but if you choose both, then you must have some extra green lying around. Can you get me a happy meal? Beatport Mdk

Artist: Atrium Carceri & Eldar Title: Sacrosanct Label: Cryo Chamber Date: August, 2012 1. Withering 2. Tomorrow's Dust 3. Freeman 4. The Vault 5. Betrayal 6. So They Speak 7. Sol 8. Of Salt 9. Burial "Hey there! Do you like excitement?" "Do you like suspense?" "Do you like Nell Carter?" "Good cause you won't find her here. This is the house of horror and for you it's absolutely free. Step right in." -ICP What? No Nell Carter? Give me a break... This is the side project (can you really call it a side project when he has released 9 albums?) of Simon Heath of Krusseldorf fame. Actually I think he has been more prolific with this project, so maybe Krusseldorf is the side project. Whichever is right Simon has been producing the dark spooky ambient that will have you recalling images from every horror movie you have ever seen. Be it a Japanese asylum or abandoned prison he creates the atmosphere that will stick with you. On this album he joins forces with another dark ambient producer Eldar. But you have to listen to this at the right moment. You can't bump this in your 64. Because like a husband that is stupid enough to truthfully answer his wife's question, "Does this make me look fat?" there is no bumping. I was gonna say like Dr. Dre with a broken subwoofer, but...you get what I mean. But 4am and you can't sleep cause you've had 4 glasses of caffeine heavy sweet tea? Oh hell yeah. So I sit in a comfy chair in the dark and put the headphones on and immerse myself in this macabre nightmare and hold up...did that...did that shadow just move? Nah, just a chair, I'm stupid. Withering begins the show with a science fiction feel as the cold impersonal sounds of higher technology hum to life. Ok, I'm thinking Event Horizon and the deep cold of an abandoned space freighter. Tomorrow's Dust brings the sounds of wind blowing through the twisted remains of some metal structure and it grows in noisy intensity as a continuous bass note strums. The Matrix when we realize that life outside of that computer program is a shell of yesterday. Man that tension builds. Freeman is my favorite with the percussive pattern and warning pads make this a dark delight. It moves slowly gathering fear of what's around the corner as a primary weapon. This is a lurk with an evil sneer. The Exorcist. Definitely the exorcist. The Vault is the discovery of a tomb that hasn't been opened in a very long time. It breathes with malediction, as if angry its slumber has been disturbed. But what I see is Johhny Depp's Jack the Ripper and the terror that must've enveloped London at that time. Deliciously evil as you can hear the cries of lost souls. Betrayal has more motion and I'm kinda like what the f*ck? This doesn't fit with any of the previous tracks. Perhaps it could be a chase scene before the pads dominate on the way out. I wouldn't have put it there. So They Speak hits you with a 19th century Dickensian London feel. Dark pads and eerie piano melodies slowly ring amidst the winds of early winter. London can be a dreary place anyway, but just imagining it back then and I'm looking for old Xanax prescriptions. Pull the coat closer as the heat begins to escape rapidly. Perhaps Sol could see you wandering the halls of a dilapidated building just waiting for that fat f*ck with the pig mask to fire up that chain saw. Where the f*ck is he? The dark pads rumble (yeah they do) while melancholy piano strings are plucked with remorse. Of Salt didn't impress me. It seemed unfocused and not something you want at over 7 minutes. Maybe unfocused isn't the right word. Lack of cohesion would work here. At times it was hopeful and others dark. In the end it didn't maintain the uneasy or fear quotient. Or...maybe it's the burning of the dead as the flames spit and crackle. Ohhhhh! You so qwever! Sorry, Asian slant. F*ck, that was an accident. I should stop talking. Simon ends with a great closer. Burial was dreary and unending and must've been how Europe felt during the Black Plague. Mountains of bodies, the very fabric of society ripped apart... Man that was 50 minutes well spent. Dark and apocalyptic in places it hit me just right. At 4 am. In total darkness. Look at the track names, this is not a carnival. Unless it's a dark carnival and then I'm sure ICP will have some copyright issues with you. There were some tracks I felt were misplaced, but the mood was maintained most of the way through. His music paints an avid picture and the let's your mind deal with the sordid details. Good stuff as usual. Cryo Chamber Mdk

Artist: Astrix Title: Stars on 35 EP Label: HOMmega Productions Date: August, 2012 1. Gayatri - Astrix & Deedrah 2. Flashback - Easy Riders (Ace Ventura & Rocky) and Symbolic Astrix ((Avi Shmailov) has had quite the career in psychedelic trance and has been holding it down since his debut Eye To Eye in 2002. Sure he might've strayed into commercial waters from time to time, but what cannot be argued is the sound quality of his compositions. Big bass and kick coupled with soaring melodies. This is a short 2 track EP which continues that trend. Gayatri sees him team up with fellow veteran Deedrah for a nice track with good effects. Soft arpeggios materialize out of the ether and it's almost progressive in nature. Flashback- "Every LSD experience is unique." Stop me if you've never heard a full on track with drug references. It's not bad, but it's just another droplet in a tsunami of like minded tracks that we've heard a million times before. It's a little harder than the first one, but nowhere near as appealing. While nowhere near the best work he has done, the first track was worth the listen. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed. Beatport Mdk

Artist: Infected Mushroom Title: Army of Mushrooms Label: Dim Mak Records Date: May, 2012 1. Never Mind 2. Nothing to say 3. Send me an angel 4. U R so fucked 5. The Rat 6. Nation of wusses 7. Wanted To 8. Serve my thirst 9. I Shine 10. Drum N' Bassa 11. The Pretender 12. The Messenger 2012 13. Swingish (Bonus Track) Elder statesmen Infected Mushroom are the Def Leppard of the psytrance genre. Minus the big 80's hair. And probably mother/daughter threesomes, alcoholic binges, and Behind the Music special. For hard rockers Def Leppard it was Pyromania and Hysteria that put them on the map and they've been riding that pony for 3 decades. After those two albums it was pretty much downhill in terms of quality as many a soccer mom could be heard rocking their latest ballad in the Honda Odyssey on the way to little Timmy's qudditch tournament. IM's claim to fame was The Gathering and Classical Mushroom and after that depending on your point of view things may or may not have gone seriously wrong. While still clinging to their roots they seemed to veer off into commercial territory. I defy you to label their music other than what the haters would undeniably call crap. Their last album Legend of the Black Shawarma had it's moments and mixed results so do we have to put up with more singing or have they changed course yet again? One thing you can say is that this project has a knack for pissing people off. As I mentioned with the last album it was the singing. Here it is the equally polarizing field of dubstep. You either love it or hate it. On this effort they combine the carnal robotic knowledge of dubstep with some of the Riddler's funky groove. This is evident from the 1st track Nevermind which will keep the toe tapping and head spinning when it morphs into the wobbly speaker shredding dubstep. Nothing to Say has plenty to say with a nice bouncy beat and melody. Which is then utterly destroyed by one of the worst buildups I have ever heard. Ever. But I love the smashing dubstep that comes immediately after, but why did they have to ruin it with that buildup? Because that's what they f*cking do. Send Me an Angel- Is that Hebrew? Call me an anti-semite if you must, but it's not a very pretty language to sing. I bet he spit all over the microphone. Oh, and this track also has the second (it was very close) worst buildup of all time. U R So Fucked.... yeeeeeeaaaaaaah....... Even if you ignore the title the Trent Reznor-like screaming his nobody loves me angst is absolutely horrible. Luckily The Rat follows and that is some toe tapping fun and a thumping you're only likely to receive if you ask a fat lady when her baby is due. Nation of Wusses continues the funk party forcing Soul Train lines to spontaneously erupt wherever you look. And an uplifting melody? Get the f*ck outta here. Must. Get Down. To Dubstep. And the dubstep is never far behind. As the wobbly and squelchy short track Wanted To proves. The female vocal ain't bad and all I can say is at least it isn't Dudev singing. Serve My Thirst unfortunately sees a return to the singing and it, uh...it ain't pretty. There is more singing on I Shine, but truthfully it's not that bad. The beat is ultra catchy and when that happens you can overlook a lot. At this point I'm still kinda numb but even I can recognize the harsh guitar leads and vocal manipulations that has been the calling card of IM for a while. But because dubstep is their shiny new toy they cram it into the Drum n Baasa track as well. Of course for me it was the most memorable part of that track. Oh, and the painful buildups. Please make it stop. The Messanger is their epic track that shows how musical and theatrical they can be. Symphonic, classical, and very dramatic. Goes from downtempo to very uptempo and back and reminds me of Dancing with Quadaffi. Oh and you didn't think they would leave the dubstep out of this track did you? C'mon, they had almost 11 minutes to fill. The end reminds of some 1980's Jan Hammer soundtrack stuff. Pretty cool. The final "bonus track" is Swingish and I'll be honest at this point my mind is overloaded and it sounded like all the rest of the tracks. Can I decline a bonus track? Look this is what they do and who they are. Let go of the past because it doesn't seem like they have any interest in returning to it. Their style is un boxworthy and all over the place, but their sound production is still flawless. So take it for what it is. A good time. Sometimes I think they manipulate sounds and just make noise because they can. They still bring the beats and let's not forget this is still dance music. It's a lot to take in for one listening, but I enjoyed it. Most of it. Beatport Goa Store Saiko Sounds Beatspace Psyshop Mdk

Artist: Kuro Title: Conception Label: Wakyo Records Date: July, 2012 1. Not Enough 2. Analyzer 3. Resolution 4. Black Zombie V2 5. Blue Moon 6. Push 7. Black Star 8. Magnetic 9. Red Zombie V2 10. Runaway I don't know much about Takeichirou Kurosaki. His album Revolution back in 1996 contained a great goa track of the same name, but that's where it stopped for me. This is his 4th album and 1st in 4 years. So is he an old master returning with his take on today's goa or is he doing his own thing? If you hoped he would release a goa stormer than you shall be disappointed. But all is not lost. This is party music pure and simple. You need all the lights flashing their brilliant colors and a pumping system for this to work. I can easily see this being played and watch the masses below bounce with ecstasy. Home listening cannot do this justice. It can't, because it doesn't have the same effect. You can't contain music that is supposed to be blasted. This is dancing until you pull a hamstring music and it comes at you like a tsunami of sound. He wields subtlety like I would surgery. Total disaster and someone would end up losing a testicle. There are no twists and turns, no breaks for you to contemplate your place in the universe. He flings sonic sledgehammers and kicks you with techno boots. Soaring melodies were never his style and he unleashes his power all at once. Standouts include Not Enough with it's hard hitting acid line and Analyzer with it's discordant melody. Push blows the doors off the hinges with maximum concussive force and Magnetic and Red Zombie V2 shows that he hasn't turned his back on his goa beginnings with sick acid lines and big bass. But there is no middle ground. If he goes straight forward with power he equally moves in dare I say a boring fashion. He finds his melody and sticks with it. Black Zombie V2 and Black Star while not minimal didn't have anything new to offer. The heavily techno inspired Blue Moon is placed right in the middle of the tracklist and doesn't maintain momentum. Hell, it kinda kills it. But like a good warrior he recovers. If you like his techno acid style then this will please you. It's got power and I'm sure can whip the masses into a frenzy. It's not the most imaginative thing I have ever heard, but it does hit hard. Psyshop Beatport Mdk

Artist: Flexus Title: The Beginning EP Label: Iono Music Date: July, 2012 1. Sunset 2. The Beginning 3. Magnetic Field Technically this isn't the beginning for Flexus aka Stefan Goransson as he collaborated with Time In Motion on last years Smooth Vibrations EP from Iono. That aside what did I learn from this release? Not everything needs to be a massive storytelling adventure. Sometimes it is great to just be spirited away. And that is just what this 3 track EP does. I would describe it as light and airy progressive trance that follows the Iono mold of gentle melodies, soft breaks, and a sh*tload of delay. Imagine taking flight on the gossamer wings of a butterfly or plucking the strings of a spiders web to get an idea of how delicate this is. Soft and sensual, never intrusive, this floats like bubbles in the wind against the warm rays of the sun. Stefan shows that you don't have to be overly complex to craft a beautiful track. Well done sir. Beatport Audiojelly Psyshop Mdk

Outstanding review! Mdk

Artist: Various Title: Dreamshadow Label: Ektoplazm Date: April, 2010 1 - Septagram - Omerta 2 - Progress - Trails 3 - Tsabeat - New Technologies 4 - Cream Corp - Tesseract 5 - Mutalisk - Chicks With Glowsticks 6 - DoHm - No More Autumn 7 - Clone - Invasion 8 - Rigel - Dodecahedron 9 - Oxya - Mindhunter 10 - Wizack Twizack - Welcome To Knutby (The Return) I've had this for quite some time and just never got to it. This is a night time journey compiled by Mr. Ektoplam himself. Not being a darkpsy aficionado like some of you, most of the artists are unknown to me. Because of that take this review with a grain of salt. As you should with all reviews. Let's face it, I'm just a guy in front of a computer with some free time trying to entertain. And the biggest pair of balls you've ever seen! That monkey is straight ballin'! Omerta- "All I leave behind me is smoke, death, and desolation." Sounds like somebody ate at Arby's. Well the black death is sticking with you Septagram, because this track embodies most of what I hate about darkpsy. Monotonous bass line with zero change, total lack of melody, and scratchy abrasive leads. No depth and thin as f*ck, which is surprising since you just came from Arby's. And all the fat white chicks say "YEAH-UH!" "Must...make it...to...Arby's!" Trails- "This is all the power you ever had. Now it is mine. Pity...there is not more time for us." If you don't mind taking my kid to school and doing a few loads of laundry we could make some time if you know what I mean. Thumbs up for the use of a Crow sample. I watched that movie over a hundred times. This one is a workout. Straight ahead with eerie sounds that make you feel like you're hallucinating or you're a prisoner in some dank dungeon. There is of course the metallic sounding synths raging across the track but what would a darkpsy track be without that? Cries of alien animals that are searching for food ring out. I liked this one. New Technologies- New technologies are great, but with all the new technology out there, this was rather underwhelming. Scratchy synths with no twists or turns. You gotta step it up. Even my daughter is getting proficient with the new stuff that's out there. "Oh hell naw! I know that b*tch didn't just unfriend me!" Tesseract- Not to be confused with the waaay better PharaOm album of the same name, this is by a fairly new project. This is a little more appealing though complete with pumping bass line, terrified female sounds...but it still sounds like the same old same old. And at almost 8 minutes it feels even longer when the track doesn't go anywhere. Darkpsy should have a time limit. For me the quality would skyrocket if they were all under 5 minutes. Of course the crap on the radio is under 4 minutes a track and I still want to drive over the elderly. Chicks With Glowsticks- "Let me know when this gets your attention." You have my attention. Instantly better with eerie sounds, but now the compilation seems to be in twilight mode. It bubbles and sounds like the old nightmare creatures video game I used to rock on the Playstation. Playstation one. Don't act like you didn't have it. At almost 9 minutes maybe it also went on a little long, but at least there was some evolution in the track. No More Autumn- DoHm has been a staple on a lot of free forest comps and is one of my favorite in the genre. That said, how the hell do you dance to this? It's spooky with lots of twinkling and rushing sounds creating a pretty good atmosphere. Is, is that...is that a car stereo in your hands? What the f*ck? Invasion- "Waitaminute man, get me outta here!" Clone has done some decent work going back to their Real Eyes EP and they make an appearance with another track clocking in at almost 9 minutes. It's funhouse style with people in the dark laughing and undulating waves of eerieness. Not bad, but it suffers from being too long without a lot of changes. Stop me if you've heard that before. Dodecahedron- At first I thought it was pretty thin, and I still do. But at the end when the arpeggio came in it seemed to get it's legs. Just took too damn long. Like all the rest it's dark, but for me it will be quickly forgotten. Mindhunter- I really like this one. No, it has nothing to do with it being the least aggressive track on the album. Are you going to take my big balls card away? It has a bit of everything. Layers, eerie feeling, and horror movie melodies. But it doesn't forget it's a trance track either. You get a lull near the end, but then that razor sharp lead comes back to cut you. Welcome To Knutby (The Return)- Tommy Boy! Not that one. But RIP buddy. Nope, the reason I probably downloaded this pig in the first place is I am a fan of Tommy Axelsson's dark music. This is a remake? of a track from his Dead End album. It's pretty good. I didn't like the combination of the two samples during the very short break as it came away a little garbled, but other than that it no problems. He's always been good at layering a thick track and that hasn't changed. I don't know if it's better than the original or even if it's supposed to be. What am I, a referee? As far as comps go, this one isn't going to be a classic. It's dark and undergoes a switch from the heavier amelodic darkpsy to the edgy night time full-on style. Couple of good tracks, but there's a lot better out there. It's free so you don't really have anything to lose. I try never to complain much about the free stuff from Ekto because he has done such a service to psytrance and the vast majority of the releases are pretty damn good. Ektoplazm Mdk